Evans didn’t play its best game Friday night, but it was good enough to improve to 2-0 on the season with a 38-3 win over Grovetown.
The Knights’ start is their best start since 2022, when they opened the season with wins over North Augusta and Greenbrier.
This past Friday, the Knight’s defense came to play. With two weeks to prepare for a struggling Grovetown offense, Evans’ took advantage of the time off.
The three points Evans allowed in the game came on a drive that started at the Evans 40-yard line. The Knights stood tall and held Grovetown to only the field goal.
The stifling defense led to a muffed punt and a fumble throughout the game that made things easy for the offense and put a smile on Evans coach Barrett Davis’ face.
“I think our defense played lights out, but we had two weeks to prepare,” Davis said. “We prepared for the wing-t offense, but they ran a lot more spread, and that’s stuff we see everyday, so it was nothing new.”
The Warriors’ 3 points were the lowest number of points allowed by Evans since the Knights shut out Grovetown, 43-0, in the 2020 season.
On the offensive side of things, it was business as usual for the Knights led by 4-star offensive lineman prospect Mason Short and quarterback EJ Hogan.
Hogan put up a phenomenal performance against Thomson in Week One and somehow got better in this one. If it looks like he’s performing like one of the best playmakers in the CSRA, it’s because, so far in this young season, the stats and results say he is.
Friday night, he accounted for four touchdowns — one through the air and the other three on the ground — behind that big offensive line, which is one of the best, if not the best, units in the area.
“I love ‘em,” said Hogan, regarding his offensive line. “They are the best in the CSRA. It speaks for itself when you watch. No words can explain it. They are what moves us and makes us go.”
Toreco Harper Jr. and Breyden Johnson both had big games against Grovetown. Harper being the receiver on Hogan’s touchdown pass that went 28 yards and Johnson with one of the more impressive runs we’ve witnessed so far.
On that run, Johnson broke through the line, met a Grovetown linebacker and two defensive backs, broke their tackles and was off to the races for a 41-yard touchdown.
Impressive performance aside, Davis is in no mood to allow his team to get complacent as the games that count toward postseason positioning begin Friday.
“We’ve got to keep practicing on our game,” Davis said. “Region starts next week, and that’s all that matters, so we told our guys we’re 0-0. We’re going to enjoy this one tonight and then get ready for next week.”
The Knights will next host Lakeside (2-0) which is feeling good after picking up a win Friday over South Aiken, 28-19.
The last two years, this game has been decided by one point with Evans winning in 2023 and Lakeside the year before.
Both teams are much improved and nestled in Region 1-AAAAA, which means this will easily be the area’s game of the week as these have two of the most prideful fanbases around. This will be a game worth the price of admission.
As for Grovetown, it has one more out of region game against Thomson (1-2) before it starts the gauntlet of a Region 4-AAAAAA schedule.
The Warriors are still looking for their first win since September 15, 2023 when they took down Jefferson County, 63-43, but more than wins, head coach Cory Evans sees how young his team is and wants them to gain experience each and every week.
“We’re just teaching our kids everyday that we have to get one percent better everyday,” Evans said. “I know that sounds cliche, but as young as we are, that’s the only way we’re going to get experience. The score doesn’t reflect it, but we are a better football team than we were three weeks ago.”
A bright spot for the Warriors is quarterback Jowell Jackson-Henriquez, who has displayed the talent to play with anybody. Evans said he’s just got to learn the position.
Grovetown’s skill guys are its strong suit. The Warriors are just overwhelmed in the trenches right now.
They have quite the challenge coming up in three weeks when they play their first region game against state — and sometimes national power — Grayson.
When asked about the opportunity to play a team with such prestige and a tradition of success, the Grovetown coach said it can only help his team improve.
“I like playing good competition, and Grayson is one of the best in Georgia and can match up with anyone in the nation,” he said. “I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for our kids to measure themselves with the best teams out there ,and if they can go toe-to-toe with the best there is, it oughta give them confidence.”
